Parachute toy



May 15, 1923. 11,45573 c. L. BUNTEN PARAGHUTE: TOY

Filed April 8, 1921 Patented May 15, 1923.

UNITED STATES IASSFE PATENT FFlQE.

CLAUDE L. BUNTEN, or nawrirns, WYOMING.Y

PARACI-IUTE TOY.

Application led April 8,

To all 'whom z'z may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLAUDE IJ. BUNTEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rawlins, in the county of Carbon and State of Wyomingg haveinvented a new and use` ful Improvement in Parachute Toy, of which thefollowing is a specification. My invention relates to toys, advertisingor display devices, and the like, and has particular reference to aprojectile capable `of containing the display or other matter whichwill, at a predetermined time, open yfor the discharge of its contents.

'lhe invention includes providing a form of lprojectile which will causea minimum opposition of the air to its passage and means for maintainingit intact until opened and for opening it at a predetermined time.

As a part of my invention, I have, also, pro vided means for throwingthe projectile into the air which causes 'it to rotate thereby steadyingits flight, and at the Sametime causing it to unwind the means forholding the parts of the projectile intact.

Among the divers obj ectsl of my invention is the provision of aprojectile formed of a plurality of cup-like shells` that are releasablyconnected together so that when thrown into theairy by the projectingdevice will rotate and thus unwind or release the securing means so thatwhen the projectile shall have attained the desired altitude the partsofv the shell 'will be open and discharge the contents which will fallto the ground by gravity. The contents or` charge in the projectile may`be in the form of confetti, advertising novelties, pyrotechnics, orarticles of a similar nature. I may also place within the shell of theprojectile a parachute for the amusement of children, in which event Iprefer to yconnect the projectile parts to the` carrier strings of theparachute in order to stabilize the descent of the parachute and toprevent the separation or loss of the divers parts of the structure.Another object of my invention is to provide a suitable holder fromwhich the projectile may be thrown into the air whereby the shell willbe caused to ascend toargreater altitude than could be acconr plished bythe action of the persons arm and handxalone. Also in connection `withthe .holder and throweig I 4 have provided means which will cause therotation of the shell or projectile duringy its yascent so that theretaining means for the parts of the shell". may y beunwound during theascent so 1921. serial No. 459,632.

that the shell parts are released at a desired or predetermined height.This permits the person operating the apparatus to determine in advancethe manner of setting the release of the contents of the shell so thatthey may be discharged when the shell is at` its greatest altitude.Other advantages of the device will be apparent to persons familiar withthis art, and I prefer to accomplish the Ydivers objects of my inventionin substantially the manner hereinafter fully described, and as moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings that form a partof this specification', which are, in a sense, diagrammatical.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the holder `and throwing device with theprojectile shell retained therein.

Figure 2 is a top-plan of the structure, shown in Figure l.

Figures 3 and-4 are fragmentarydetails of the elements of the throwerfor causing the rotation of the projectile, the latter view j beingtaken on line 4 4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the shell taken on line 5 5,Figure 1, and enlarged.

Figure 6 is a view of the shell opened with the parachute in'llated, asin descent. Referring more particularly to Figures l, 2 and 5,'it willbe seen that the projectile comprises two similarly shaped shells orhalves 5, 5, the rims 6 whereof are substa-ntially fiat and fit againsteach other to complete the shell. and the concaved portions face eachother. This shell, as seen in Figures 2 and 5, is of less thickness intransverse section than the, diameter ,of either `of the shell parts,the wall ofthe shell between rims 6 being slightly oval in section,

as shown in the drawings, so as to present `the plane of' the AWindingstring 7 the elements of the shell together and holds' the end of thestring from unwinding. `Alfterithis has been done, the operatorcontiiiues to Wind the string around the shell engaging notches 8 andnotches 9, as Will he understood, until a sufficient quantity or lengthof string has been univound thereon. The number of winds orturns aboutthe shell Idetermines the number of revolutions theshell will linakeedgeivise through the `air when in flight, and thus substantially orapproximately determines the altitude at which the string Will becomeentirely un- `vvound and the tivo parts of the'v shell released'.

" The `manner of projecting the shell into the air is either by hand orby the device shown in Figure 1. I prefer the latter for tlie'reasonthat the shell y"is projected with Vgi'reater force and more accurately,and is prevented from Wabblingor rotating upon other ythan its centraltransverse axis, as indicated by the broken line 11 in Figure 5.

Tli'edevice illustrated in Figure 1 consists of an elongated shaft orrod 12, one 'end vvhereof provides a handle, and the outer endivhereofis reduced, as at 13, in a concaveinanner. A groove 14:'` is madeparallel yv'ith'the sides of the reduced portion 13 to receive rims 6 ofthe shell, and

projection 15 is made adjacent the end of the reduced portion'tofit acorresponding notch" or recess 16 in thefriins of the shell in a planesubstantially at right angles to A retractable or movable aw 17 ofsubstantially "triangular 'shape is pivoted upon shaft 12 by'means` ofapin l18 and the outer end of jawl? visy reduced or concave, as at 19,substantially corresponding iny curvature of the' shell rim. Thisportion 19 of the lafW is provided yvith a groove or channel 20 to reiceive the rim, and said jaw is kept normally pressed toivard the shaftby means of an ,elastic `or` spring element 21 connecting the javfbeyondits vpivot'with shaft '12.

It will be' seen from the Vforegoing description'that when the shell isplaced in the throyverV the retractable or removable aw 'fric'tionally`retains' the same, and the op ,60,"erator can siving the shaft quicklythrough the airjupontlie decrease or stoppingF of Yiv'liilch 'movementthe friction is overcome l .and the `shell released. Upon its releasethe lshellwill rotategupon its 'axis 11, orvi'n'gr to theinvem'ent'ygiven it bythe operator and its engagement with projection15. As the shell ascends it rotates and string 7, owing to its frictionupon the air, unwinds with each revolution of the shell until it isentire'ly uiiivound, andreleases the tWo parts of the shell. lThis ispreferably at the highest altitude reached in its flight. The contentsof the shell ivill then be discharged and scattered in the air,` as willbe understood. Y Y

ln the event the device is used as a toy for the amusement of children`and others,'l may employ a parachute,which l'have illustrated in Figure6, and-upon the opening ofU the shell the parachute body 22 becomes in'-fla-ted and the shell members 'being secured to' the carrier ropes 'orstrings QBWill balance or stabilize the parachute, 'and it will descendin a slow and gradualinanner. ln

such use, l preferto connectthe' par-tsof the shell by a cord or string24 to prevent them being lost when falling tothe ground. Diversadvertising novelties may b'eenclosed in the shell instead 'of thepara'chuteor'l pyrotechnic may-be used for both day 'and night displaywith'or Without the parachute.

It will also be understood that the structure i l have describedis'ivcll adapted forjuse 'iv/ith illuminating shells, in' which eventthe well known star shells may loefused.' It will be understood Vthatallthis is contemplated Within the scopefof 'my invention and diverschanges may fbe made Without materially departing from the principles I'have set forth in the y l ,y Y appended claims.

lllVhat l claimiszf Y j l A# toy COTDPFSDg a projectile consisting of a'pair of oblatesemi-spheroidal' shell,

sections, flanges on the edges'of said shell sections that provide' avrib on the `assembled projectile; said vrib provided with registeringrecesses,l la retaining element *Wound aboutI said projectile andengagingsaid recesses, and Va holder and th'roiver forfsaid projectileconsisting Vof a pair of yielding j aws` having their opposing" facesgrooved to receive and seat the ribfof said projectile, and aproject-ion on 'onefofsaild 'adapt-- ed to enter one ofsaifd recesses onthe pro` j ectlile `whereby When said projectile is thrown from lsaidholder the projection Ywill ycause the rotation thereof.

2. A` toy comprising af' projectile consist ing of a pair ofohlatevsemi#sph eroidal shell sections, flanges on 'thel'edges ofsaid .shellsections that provide a ribon thea'ssembled projectile; said ribprovided with registering recesses, a retainingelerneiit lWound aboutysaid projectile aiidengaging said recesses, a parachute connected `tosaidshell sections and enclosed` Within said shell ""sections, andaholder and'thro'yverfofr'said projectile consisting of a pair ofyielding j aivs having their opposing faces grooved".toV

receive and seat thelribiof'said -prjee/tile,

and a projection on one of said jaws adapted to enter one of saidrecesses on the projectile whereby when said projectile is thrown fromsaid holder the projection will cause the rotation thereof.

3. A toy comprising a projectile consisting of a pair of disks ofrelatively shallow concavo-convex section and having flangedperiplieries, said disks disposed with their coiicaved portions facing`and the flanges parallel and contacting; said flanges provided with aplurality of recesses disposed sub# stantially diametrically oppositeeach other, and a cord wound transversely about said disks in saidrecesses, a portion of said cord being laced laterally back and forth insev-4 eral adjacent recesses whereby the initial end of said cord issecured in position and prevented `from iinwinding until the remainingof a plurality of concavo-convex shell sections, flanges on the edges ofsaid shell sections that provide a rib on the assembled projectile; saidrib having a serrated portion and a recessed portion opposite thereto,and a cord wound about said projectile in said recesses with a portionlaced laterally back and forth in said serrations.

Signed at Rawlins, county of Carbon and State of lVyoming, this 2nd dayof April, 1921.

CLAUDE L. BUNTEN. `Witnesses G. S. MURPHY, T. E. CALLIsoN.

